Conifer Nursery Intern (Conifer Nursery & Seed Center)

Wages range from $21 to $23 per hour

Do you enjoy working outdoors and learning about native ecosystems? Are you interested in horticulture, forest genetics, and native tree species enhancement? This is a hands-on internship supporting the propagation and care of California’s native conifer species working on the grounds of the Sierra Pacific Industries Conifer Nursery & Seed Center. This fast-paced position offers exposure to nursery operations, orchard management, and sustainable forestry practices.

Assist in native tree nursery and orchard operations by:

• Assist with cone collection and orchard operations across a diverse 75-acre seed orchard featuring five species of trees
• Help with transplanting, thinning, and weeding to promote strong seedling development
• Conduct weekly growth measurements and seasonal plant counts (June & September)
• Monitor seedling health and growth in greenhouse and outdoor environments
• Maintain orchard irrigation systems with routine maintenance
• Travel to other orchards and progeny sites for orchard operation activities
• Maintain greenhouse cleanliness and assist with occasional maintenance tasks
• Support orchard sanitation efforts and vegetation management to ensure a clean, efficient growing environment
• Perform pruning, mowing, and weeding to maintain orchard aesthetics and productivity
  • May include the operation of tractors and boom lifts

Qualifications

• Must be continuing education in Fall 2027, pursuing a degree in forestry, botany, horticulture, or environmental science
• Interns must be able to cross-country hike and negotiate steep, brushy terrain
• Willingness to work outdoors in varying conditions
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities
• experience with spreadsheets and basic data entry
• Previous nursery or agricultural experience is helpful but not required

Base Location:
Grenada, California

Employment Period:
MAY/JUNE through AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2027
(flexible start & end dates)

Compensation includes competitive hourly wage and housing allowance for qualifying individuals.

Celebrate our 300th million seedling planted with us!
spi-ind.com/OurForests/ThreeHundredMillion

Sierra Pacific is an (EOE) Equal Opportunity Employer, including those with a disability and veterans.

About Our Company
Sierra Pacific Industries is a fourth-generation family-owned company based in Northern California that started in 1949 and has grown to be one of the largest lumber and millwork producers in the U.S., employing around 6,500 crew members. Sierra Pacific continues to be a company where its employees are proud to work at state-of-the-art facilities and others strive to become part of the team.

We own and sustainably manage more than 2.4 million acres of timberland in California, Oregon, and Washington. Our forests are sustainably managed under a 100-year plan by Registered Professional Foresters, Wildlife Biologists, Botanists, and other professionals. We are growing forests for our future, planting over 6 million new trees every year. In Spring 2024, we planted our 300 millionth seedling on our timberlands. This milestone was decades in the making, reflecting our commitment to sustainable forest management and ensuring we have forests not just for today, but for generations to come.

Sierra Pacific effectively uses nearly 100% of every piece of wood we bring to our facilities. In fact, any small amount that isn’t turned into hand-crafted doors and windows, millwork, lumber, or landscaping material is actually converted into electricity in our eight biomass-fueled power plants.

We are proud that all Sierra Pacific facilities follow our drug-free and tobacco-free policies. As part of our safety in the workplace policy, an offer of employment is subject to a negative drug screen result. We use E-verify to verify the social security number and work authorization of all newly hired employees. Sierra Pacific is an (EOE) Equal Opportunity Employer, including those with a disability and veterans.